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Topic Review (Newest First)

11-15-2001 10:01 AM

striblue

FishHawk... I also keep the paddle tethered... but stripers are not difficult to land.. I ALWAYS use a bogga grip for Blues and keep it handy when in the Yak.. If I didn't use a bogga I would look for a kevlar spray skirt. Hate to have a big blue fopping around in my lap.. know what I mean?

11-15-2001 08:34 AM

joev

Fishhawk I try to keep every thing teathered to my yak.Paddle is hooked to a paddle leash.Fishing from the yak is quite exciting. To have fish jumping over yak (happened at least 4 times once with a 12 pd blue )Sitting in a school of bunker with fish crashing every where around you.Having the yak lift from the boil of the bunker.Watching peanuts fleeing for there lives airborne with a blue in hot pursiut airborne only 4 feet from your face at eye level .Its awesome you just got to do it.
joev

11-15-2001 07:22 AM

Roop

Don't get me wrong, I definitely plan to fish from my yak next season. My fishing opportunities this year all had time constraints on them so I didn't have the luxury of cruising in the yak and looking for fish.

I definitely don't have any problem casting out of my yak and look forward to getting pulled around - my new found respect for a 25# tippet should come in handy on getting any larger fish yakside.

The other thing I'll definitely be doing next season is trolling almost everyone I see with a fly rod in a kayak trolls. But, I plan on using an old fly line as a hand line. Maybe even attach 1/2 a lobster pot bouy to the end so if it I need to seperate myself / connection from the fish I can.

Roop

11-15-2001 05:46 AM

FishHawk

Good thread was wondering how you land a fish in a yak , keep track of your paddle and land the fish at the same time. Maybe its better to cut off the leader if the fish puts you in danger. Also, the long flyrod doesn't help matter. because the Tribalance has outriggers makes it more difficult to turn than a yak without outriggers. I'm with Juro plan to use the yak for transportation.
FishHawk

11-13-2001 05:02 PM

juro

I admire all of you who fish from a yak. Although one never knows until they try, I feel that I would be satisfied to fish from the places that the yak would get to to, but don't intend to actually fish from it very often if at all.

Does anyone make a clear yak? Monomoy

11-13-2001 04:38 PM

Fishinimpossible

This was my first year riding the 'yak. It was DEFINITELY a season of education.

Ahhh, young grasshopper,
It was mid-late May, and I was chasing pods of marauding blues off Popponesset and Succonesset. The 5-8 pound fish hammered any fly that dropped within their sight. I had already lost count of the blues released. 2 were bleeding to death on my metal stringer for the smoker. I've been flyfishing the salt for at least 6 years, but always had a net handy to boat a blue. In the 'yak there's no room for a net, and the laws of leverage don't make it much of an option anyway. I learned in a hurry that it's easy to grab them by the back of their neck. It totally immobilizes them. I also learned not to use the cheap nylon stringers for blues. If anyone catches a 10# blue with half a Walmart stringer in it's maw, you can keep it. I now use the metal chain and clip type. I can cut their throat and drop 'em in the drink to bleed. No mess on deck!

The main lesson of that day, though, was how to fight and land big fish in a kayak. I hooked into a nice 36" bass that towed me straight to the surf in front of the spit at Popponesset. The strong on-shore breeze compounded the situation. I almost landed the fish when it ran straight out from the port side of my kayak. Mr. Bass ran about 20 feet, and immediately turned 180 degrees, running straight at the port side of my yak. My rod is now pointing straight off the port side of the 'yak (big mistake). When the blue ran under the 'yak, my rod tip went straight down with me behind it. The water was still too deep to touch, but I kept an elbow on my vessel while still fighting the ornery cuss. Surf kept crashing over me, but I finally landed (can you technically land fish if you are swimming?) the bass, and sent him on his way. The heart of this lesson is to keep your rod tip over the bow of your kayak at all times when fighting fish. The only time this changes is when you hold your rod high to boat an exhausted fish. If the tip is over the bow, the 'yak will always turn to face the fish. If the fish is too small to turn the 'yak, you've got nothing to worry about anyway.

11-12-2001 05:14 PM

JimW

I've notice 2 things in the yak that can be a problem. Larger fish can pull the boat. When you're on shore you can put more pressure on the fish because you are a stationary object in the yak when you tighten down that drag you get a little ride. I noticed on one fish 35" but very strong the battle when much longer than I'd have preferred. I ended up keeping that fish (the only one I've kept in a couple years) because I really doubted that it would survive. I think had I been standing instead of floating the battle could have been less stressful on the fish. The second problem in the yak is that you cannot turn around very quickly. I find that sometimes I just have to fight the fish by holding the rod behind my head until it decides to come to one side or the other, this is usually an indication that the fish is winning. If you use your lower body to turn the yak toward the fish while applying opposing pressure with the rod you can usually get the bow to swing into a more favorable position. As far as blue fish go I am more than happy with a LDR, I have nightmares about dropping one of those puppies in my lap.

11-12-2001 02:36 PM

joev

Roop I have a hard time with fish going ballistic when they see the yak.Its like they dont know they are hooked till you reel the yak to them then all hell brakes loose.Lost a nice bass this weekend like that.
joev

11-12-2001 12:27 PM

Roop

That's a nice blue!

I like to land blues by grabbing them behind the eyes and turning them upside down to calm them down.

I've had moe success with blues than with power tools!

11-12-2001 08:12 AM

joev

Hey Roop biggest fish landed was 2 blues in the 17-20 pd range and many others 12-15 pds.Never had a problem once I got em yak side .I use a boga knockoff and have it teathered to my yak.Bigger problem I have had is some of the sleigh rides thru sailboat moorings and other boats.Hard to paddle and fight fish.
joev

11-12-2001 08:02 AM

Roop

Landing BIG Fish

OK, I had a less than positive experience when I couldn't turn the tri-balance so I could face the large blue I was trying to land ( as it took line going in the opposite direction I was facing) but am interested in hearing about the biggest fish anyone has landed from a yak and what difficulties if any you encountered.